Detroit Lions Week 2 Preseason Preview Against Commanders
Previewing the Detroit Lions Week 2 NFL preseason contest against the Washington Commanders at Ford Field.
Video Transcript
The Detroit Lions finally return home to play in front of the home crowd in the preseason.
I'm John Mccaroon reporting for Detroit Lions on SI.
You recognize now that Dan Campbell pinpointed the second preseason game against the Commanders as a game where more, more starters have an opportunity to perform.
Look, don't expect to see Jared Goff, don't expect to see high-end players like Pene Sewell, Aiden Hutchinson.
I would expect, you know, that certain players that are battling for roster spots to have an opportunity to play.
It would have been interesting to see Ennis Rakestraw play, but he just suffered an ankle injury, but it does not appear to be serious.
Sam LaPorta also injured, so you don't expect to see him.
But this is a contest where several position battles will start to give more answers and clues to the coaching staff, including at left guard, center.
The cornerback room, who starts to separate in that battle.
Uh, DJ Reid obviously is going to be a starter, but does a player like Nick Whiteside continue to have success?
Does a player like Keith Abney step up in an elevated role?
So great opportunity to see how the Detroit Lions shake out, and I think a player that really needs to have a good contest is Isaac Tesla.
The first game against the Bengals was not his best performance, drops.
And you don't expect that from a young player.
So I want to see Isaac Tesla, and he rebound, and just really what Dan Campbell indicated he wants to see his growth.
Can players that have been making some mistakes at training camp, can they learn from it?
Players like Mahogany and Miles.
Frazier that didn't have the best performance in the preseason opener, can they grow and maintain their confidence in a game against the Commanders.
So, obviously, one of the biggest things that people are gonna look for is the backup quarterback battle.
I wanna see how Josh Dobbs acclimates.
He didn't have many reps.
This week at training camp, but how does he handle now an increased workload with a little more time under his belt.
So, uh, Luke Almeyer still in competition.
Dan Campbell said that battle is still open.
So, there are still players who have an opportunity to earn roster spots, and for the Detroit Lions.
The second preseason game, first and foremost, the goal is to stay healthy and to see how some of these battles, including at left guard, center, the cornerback too.
Spot and some of the wide receiver spots behind wide receiver 3 in Isaac Tesla.
How do players like Greg Dorch, Dominic Lovett, uh, Cedric Wilson Jr. Tay Martin, how do they continue to compete and make things difficult for the coaching staff, including, you know, the depth chart at wide receiver.
So, a lot of things to pay attention to.
The crowd at Ford Field should be passionate, and it'll be a fun opportunity to continue to evaluate the Detroit Lions in week 2 of the preseason.
